Aquamarine Moondust
by Miyagi-Chihane
Summary: Rukia goes back to Hueco Mundo to fulfill her promise to Ashido. She knew the dangers that await her, but she never expected to see HIM.  GrimmRuki
1. Standstill

**Title: **Aquamarine Moondust

**Genre:** Romance

**Rating:** M

**Pairing:** GrimmRuki, with a sprinkling of IchiRuki

**Disclaimer:** I don't own BLEACH and its characters. They all belong to the great Kubo-sensei!

**Summary:** Rukia goes back to Hueco Mundo to fulfill her promise to Ashido. She knew the dangers that await her, but she never expected to see HIM.

**Timeline:** The story follows the events in the anime, as I'm aware Ashido is not present in the manga. However, I will try my hardest to stick to the original storyline of Bleach.

* * *

><p>CHAPTER ONE<p>

_Don't look back_, Rukia told herself as she passed Chad, Orihime and Ishida on her way to the newly-opened Sekaimon hovering above them. She took in their sad smiles and rewarded them with the biggest smile she could muster. Behind her, she heard Ichigo sigh.

_Don't look back._

Looking back would be useless anyway. He couldn't sense her reiatsu anymore, much less see her. "Minna," she managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper. "Take care of him for me." Without waiting for a reply, she pressed one foot against the ground to gain momentum, and with one graceful shunpo, reached the Sekaimon effortlessly.

As her hell's butterfly passed her and fluttered across the darkness, she hesitated before finally turning around. She had turned around too soon. The Sekaimon hadn't fully closed and even across the distance, she could see Ichigo staring up at her with sad eyes and an equally sad smile.

She felt her breath catch in her throat as the Sekaimon finally closed, enveloping her in darkness. "Was he -" Rukia shook her head. What was she thinking? Of course he couldn't see her. He was probably just looking up at the sky. It was a coincidence, that's all.

Rukia took a deep breath and finally started walking along the precipice world. Her footsteps echoed through the darkened halls, her path guided by the feeble light of the kido-powered torches that lined the eerie walls. She did not allow her thoughts to wander, but allowed a couple of happy memories to slip past, just so she had something to keep her company as she made her way back to Soul Society.

She will miss her friends in the human world, but she told herself that since Ichigo's power is no more, there was no reason for her to stay there anymore. Now that the war is over, her presence was needed in Soul Society. Aizen's betrayal had exposed a lot of flaws in the system, and now was the time for rebuilding and moving forward.

* * *

><p>Kiyone and Sentaro were seated outside Ukitake's office, their ears pressed against the door and trying their best to pick up on the conversation transpiring inside. Ukitake-taicho had summoned Rukia to his office a few days after her return to Soul Society. Rukia thought he wanted to gather more information regarding her last days in the human world. She never imagined it would be about something else.<p>

"Me, a vice captain?" Rukia asked, her amethyst eyes wide with confusion and surprise.

Ukitake chuckled at his subordinate's reaction and nodded. "It's an idea I have been playing around with for quite some time, and since you did extremely well in your fights in Hueco Mundo, I must say you definitely deserve the title."

Rukia was seated across her superior, who was at his usual spot behind his desk. On the desk lay the vice-captain's badge, which once belonged to her mentor, Kaien Shiba. The badge brought back memories and it made Rukia falter. Suddenly, she was at a loss for words.

"But..." Rukia looked down at her hands, which rested delicately on her lap. "What about Sentaro and Kiyone?"

"We don't observe monarchy when it comes to ranking Kuchiki," Ukitake explained gently. He knew Rukia will have reservations about the promotion, but he also knew his current 3rd seats were not the main reason. He was aware that his subordinate had kept her heart closed for so long and had subconsciously sabotaged her opportunities for growth, but he had hoped her stint in the human world had changed her perspective of things. "While some people may think everyone should move up one rank automatically when there's an opening, you have surpassed them in skill and ability. You've successfully defeated an Espada, Aaroniero Arruruerie as well as the leader of the Exequias, Rudbornn Chelute."

"Aa," was all Rukia could say. Hearing her captain compliment her felt nice and awkward at the same time. She couldn't put her finger on it, why she felt so uneasy about the news. She knew in her heart that she had done extremely well in Hueco Mundo, but a promotion? Her gaze fell on the badge once more. "Is it okay though... for me to have this?" she whispered, unaware that she was talking out loud.

Ukitake smiled and stood up slowly. This shook Rukia out of her semi-reverie and she stared at him inquisitively. "Kuchiki, I understand you have a lot of things to think about. It's no rush, so if you want time to think about things -"

"Yes!" Rukia said abruptly, as she stood up as well. She almost immediately realized that she had interrupted Ukitake and looked embarrassed. "I- I mean... Thank you very much for understanding Ukitake-taicho! I won't disappoint you, I promise. I just feel like I have a few things I need to deal with..." Rukia's voice faltered again.

Ukitake went over to his subordinate and put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure you'll do just fine." With sweeping gestures, he motioned for her to move towards the door. "You must be tired. I heard that you were feeling under the weather, with all that traveling from Hueco Mundo, to the human world and then back to Soul Society. You have to admit, these past few months have been pretty hectic for you." He opened the door to escort Rukia out when he was greeted by a gasp and two flushed faces.

"Oh, Kiyone! Sentaro! I was wondering where you two are," Ukitake greeted jovially at his two embarrassed subordinates.

"Ukitake-taicho! We- we weren't spying or anything!" Kiyone sputtered, her face all red. In her defense, she looked at Sentaro and glared at him. "It's all your fault! You're the one who wanted to find out what they were talking about!"

"Me?" Sentaro shot back, waving his fist angrily. "I distinctly recall you begging me to accompany you here because you wanted to eavesdrop on their conversation!"

"Maa maa," Ukitake said, laughing. "It's okay you two. I would have told you guys next, anyway."

"Ah!" Kiyone said, as if remembering something. She quickly rose to her feet and clasped Rukia's hand, taking the latter by surprise. "Isn't it great, Kuchiki-san? You're going to be vice-captain soon!"

Rukia didn't know how to respond; thankfully, Ukitake cleared his throat, saving her. "Now Kiyone, I'm sure Kuchiki is tired and needs to rest. Why don't you two escort her to the Kuchiki manor? You can talk about things along the way."

"Hai, Ukitake-taicho!" Kiyone and Sentaro chorused with enthusiasm.

* * *

><p>That night, Rukia couldn't sleep no matter how hard she tried or how tired she was. Vice-captain? Her? She wondered what Kaien would say if he were here. Rukia sighed when she realized that Kaien was the real reason for her hesitation. Kaien wasn't here; he was gone, and it was because of her. She found it a bit cruel that now she was being asked to take the position that was once his.<p>

She had been blaming herself for so long and it was only after she had saved Ichigo, his family and friends that she had begun to feel like she had atoned for her sins. Yes, it was her fault for allowing Kaien to fight that monster alone and for running away when she was told to do so. After her fight with Aaroniero, she realized she was slowly moving on from the tragedy that transpired that fateful night.

But could she ever be the person Kaien was? He taught her how to fight and treated her fairly while everyone else either liked or hated her just because she was a member of the Kuchiki household. Yes, she can certainly hold up her own when it came to fighting, but could she ever be the type of person that others would look up to and respect?

A yawn escaped Rukia's lips; thankfully, sleep has finally caught up with her. Just in time too; as Rukia's eyes fluttered close, she decided that she'll never convince anybody that she deserves to be Vice-captain if she herself has some doubts.

_Tomorrow,_ Rukia thought as she settled into dreamland. _Tomorrow I'll start tying up loose ends and taking care of unfinished business._

* * *

><p>Her plan was easier said than done. Telling Ukitake-taicho about Ashido and how he was still stuck in Hueco Mundo had been easy enough, but once she expressed her desire to retrieve him, the soft-spoken Captain of the 13th division frowned and told her that it was too dangerous for her to go there alone. He said he'd meet with the other captains and maybe the 2nd division will try to get Ashido out of there.<p>

Rukia had thought her plans for redeeming herself were cut short from the very start, but fate started to sway her way when the 2nd division said they were too busy trying to chase after some shinigami who had deflected to Aizen's side during the war and were now hiding amongst their ranks since Aizen was already defeated. However, there's still the matter of Hueco Mundo being too dangerous for her to travel alone.

One night, maybe out of sheer desperation, Rukia found herself walking stealthily towards her brother's room. The light was still on in his room, but because of the late hour, Rukia thought it would be best if she did not enter his room.

"Nii-sama?" Rukia called out in a faint voice as she sat down beside the sliding door to her brother's room.

A few seconds of silence, and then, "...yes?"

"I'm sorry for bothering you this late, but I have something I would like to discuss with you."

She heard the rustling of paper before her brother replied in a firm, but modulated tone, "If this is about your request to go on a rescue mission to Hueco Mundo, I believe your captain has already told you about how dangerous it would be if you will go alone."

Rukia took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She had expected this, but something inside her just didn't want to leave things be. "I understand, nii-sama, my mind has grasped them fully and Ukitake-taicho's points are reasonable, but my pride-" she paused and gathered up her courage before continuing, "-my pride won't allow me to back down. You always said that you'd gladly fight for your pride, so why can't I do the same? Ukitake-taicho even said there were two types of fights. The fight for one's life and the fight for one's pride. And I want to do this because I'm fighting for my pride. How can I command my future subordinates if deep inside my mind I feel as if I have not proven myself worthy of being a Vice-captain?" Rukia had not realized that her voice had risen during the latter part of her speech and that she was breathing heavily. Her hands, which had been resting on her lap, were now wound into fists, wrinkling her immaculate kimono.

She waited for her brother's reply, but when she was met with silence, she wondered if she had gone too far and her brother was mad at her. "I'm sorry nii-sama. For a while there I was-"

"Rest," She heard her brother's voice, indecipherable as always. "It's late and you need your sleep."

Sighing, Rukia knew a dismissal when she heard it and decided not to press the issue further. "Yes, nii-sama. I'm sorry for disturbing you. Goodnight." With that, she walked slowly back to her room, her spirits dampened.

* * *

><p>Ukitake was looking at a note on his desk, his face wrapped up in seriousness. Across from him, Rukia sat as gracefully as she could, but after minutes of silence, her mind started jumping to conclusions. Will they punish her just because she won't drop the issue? Her brother probably spoke with Ukitake about her trying to get his help for the mission. Rukia sighed and readied herself for the lecture that was sure to come.<p>

"I don't really know what to say, Kuchiki," Ukitake began, making Rukia wince. _Here it comes,_ she thought. To her surprise, Ukitake-taicho stood up and motioned for her to do the same. As soon as she was on her feet, her captain gave her a smile, "The captain commander himself has given you the go signal for the retrieval mission."

Purple orbs lit up as Rukia stared at her captain, incredulous yet hopeful. "H-he did?"

Ukitake laughed. "Yes, according to this report-" he waved the piece of paper he had been reading a while ago. "You are to infiltrate Hueco Mundo and bring back Ashido Kano to the best of your abilities. However, since you are going alone, you need to be prepared."

Motioning for Rukia to follow him, Ukitake stepped out of his office and started walking through the halls of the 13th division, oblivious to the sun's rays that usually bothered him because of his health. "Let's go pay the 12th division a visit, shall we?"

Rukia would have thought that it was all just a dream – or worse, a cruel joke everyone decided to play on her – were it not for the fact that she was actually walking along the precipice world on her way to Hueco Mundo. Her sheathed zanpakutou swayed underneath her cloak with each determined step. She felt the aura around her change slowly, signaling that she was almost in Hueco Mundo.

She remembered her conversation with Ukitake-taicho just before she stepped into the Sekaimon. He had given her instructions, some equipment and it was hard for her to miss the worry in his voice. However, she returned his worried look with a determined face and told him that she will not fail.

Rukia will never forget what Ukitake divulged after that. It made her smile just thinking about it.

"_I know you won't fail," Ukitake-taicho had said, finally allowing himself to smile despite his worry. "Your brother made it clear that you will do a splendid job."_

"_My brother?"_

"_Yes," Ukitake nodded. "It seems Kuchiki-taicho personally requested that you be put on this mission. He said that you were on a standstill and this mission would be the perfect opportunity to take your skills and abilities to the next level." He placed a hand on Rukia's shoulder. "One of the biggest reasons why I wanted you to become a Vice-captain was because I DO feel like you're on a standstill, and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for you to grow. However, I forgot that growth is something you should decide for yourself. If you feel like this is what you need in order for you to move forward and progress, then I will support you in this, Kuchiki."_

Rukia smiled and put her hand against her chest. It made her feel warm inside that her brother had done something for her, although she was pretty sure she wasn't supposed to find out. She knew there would be no mention of this when she got back, but she hoped that by performing admirably on this mission, she could somehow show her brother that she was grateful for what he had done.

The gradual change in spiritual presence caused Rukia to look up, and her smile vanished. The air was starting to fill with dread, destruction and a sense of remorse, but it was not enough to bring Rukia down. Her eyes alert, her face showed nothing but grim determination. They were right. She was on a standstill – she's been on one since Kaien's death and has never fully recovered. Although she has improved, she has never taken it upon herself to improve more than what was expected of her. But all that is going to change. She was on a mission and absolutely nothing will get in the way of her triumph.

* * *

><p>Grimmjow Jaggerjaques looked at the bloodied mass that lay before him with extreme distaste. Limbs and innards were mangled to the point where even Grimmjow couldn't tell how many enemies he had been up against in the beginning. He was just wandering along the sandy dunes of Hueco Mundo when suddenly a group of Gillian-level Arrancars appeared before him. Normally, he can dispose of a Gillian in mere seconds, but this particular event had been different. There were 4, maybe 5 of them and these Gillian were just a few steps away –or as they put it, just one former Espada away from transforming into Adjuchas.<p>

"Moronic shitheads," Grimmjow said with a smirk. It was stupid of them to think they could win just because they had an advantage in numbers. More enemies didn't mean a better chance at victory; to Grimmjow it just meant more souls to devour later on. However, after he had accomplished what he wanted, the former La Sexta Espada wondered if confronting them had been the right thing to do all along.

"Ch," Grimmjow spat at the bloody mess and wiped the gooey green liquid from the side of his mouth with the back of his hand. Maybe fighting them hadn't been the best idea. Not that he didn't want to fight; in fact, he'd never pass up an opportunity to show the Hollows who their next king was. After all, Baraggan has kicked the bucket so Hueco Mundo is now his for the taking.

He had sustained some injuries in the fight. As much as Grimmjow hated to admit it, he was still in pretty bad shape. He had all but crawled away from Las Noches, bruised and bleeding, as the battle raged on between the Shinigami and the Espada. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to take step after painful step although he felt like a coward for running away.

No, he wasn't a coward. Yes, he lusted for battle, but he wasn't an idiot. The Espadas were dropping like flies around him. What did they want him to do, keel over obediently? Hell no! He was only retreating so he could live to fight another day. Days later, news came that the king, Baraggan won't be returning anymore after meeting his end at the hands of the Shinigami. Once news reached Las Noches that Aizen was no more, most of the remaining Arrancars fled, while some were foolish enough to try to take the reigns of leadership. Blood was shed as battles were fought, but in the end no one was strong enough to unite the remaining Arrancars under one rule, and they ended up separating ways, leaving Las Noches in ruins.

"Just you wait," Grimmjow grumbled under his breath. One day, as soon as he recovered fully from the injuries inflicted by Kurosaki Ichigo and Nnoitra, he will rise to power for sure. That is... if he could get past the standstill he was in right now.

Right. It was a predicament that vexed Grimmjow to no end, and as he finished devouring the souls of the Gillians he just defeated, he was forced to face the reality that had been rearing its ugly head since his escape from Las Noches.

"Fuck!" he cursed as he looked down at his hands and desperately tried to feel a change in reiatsu. Nothing. After his escape, he devoured the souls of other Hollows in order to speed up his recovery. The first few kills stabilized his condition and some of his wounds even closed and healed on their own. However, even before he can completely recover, he discovered that he faced a dead end. Eating hollows no longer had an effect on him, even on his wounds. And right now, consuming the souls of the Gillian-level Arrancar had done nothing for him. None. Zip. Nada.

He felt his blood boiling and he mentally berated himself for getting into a fight that in the end, didn't benefit him any. It actually made matters worse for him because now he had new injuries to think about. Even with his skills, he did not go unscathed against a group of Arrancars attacking together.

He directed a multitude of curses towards Aizen, "How many Arrancars did that fucked-up fairy turn?" However, he had to admit, he could use Aizen's powers right about now. Grimmjow hated to acknowledge that maybe he had reached the end of the line in terms of strength. Eating hollows did nothing, and even the effects of the Hōgyoku had its limitations.

Deciding that the battle had been a waste of time, Grimmjow turned around and decided to head back towards his lair. As he rushed to his destination using his Sonido, he recalled his fight with the orange-haired Shinigami.

Kurosaki Ichigo. The Shinigami's strength proved to Grimmjow that the universe was unfair – or at the very least hated every fiber of his being. Just when he thought he had seen all of the Shinigami's moves and just when he thought he had him cornered, the brat would suddenly find a new source of power easily, as if he were picking a rabbit out of a hat. He couldn't understand why nature would favor the weak-hearted while it preached survival of the fittest. He had been craving for power for as long as he could recall, and yet here he was unable to shove past a stone wall that prevented his growth. Meanwhile, that Kurosaki guy only wanted to wield a sword whenever someone was in danger. Did that idiot even realize that with his power he could move mountains and change destinies?

Suddenly, Grimmjow's thoughts were interrupted by a slight disturbance in the air and he stopped in mid-Sonido. "What the hell was that?" The wave pattern was similar to that of a Garganta opening, so he could only surmise that it was one of those portals the Shinigami used to travel around. Why would the Shinigami be in Hueco Mundo? To exterminate them all? Grimmjow laughed at this. They would have to be pretty stupid to think that they can get rid of Hollows once and for all.

Without another thought, Grimmjow began moving towards the disturbance, his senses picking up a lone reiatsu signature in the distance.

_Just one Shinigami? Impossible._

Grimmjow wondered briefly if that weak-ass Shinigami Ashido over at the Menos forest was finally able to open up a gate on his own, but he quickly rejected that thought as soon as it came. No, the signature was different; faint, but still stronger than that of Ashido's. Come to think of it, it has been days since Grimmjow saw the hermit Shinigami dwelling in the Menos Forest.

He finally figured that maybe someone had come to rescue Ashido. "Tss, I should have killed that pansy of a Shinigami when I had the chance". Grimmjow did not really know why he kept Ashido alive, but he found it amusing, the Shinigami's feeble attempts to live in a forest filled with his natural enemies. Grimmjow also loved to play a game with himself, wherein he would test how long he could spy and stalk his prey before his blood lust finally took over. The longer he held out, the more exhilarating the kill was.

However, faced with the possibility of Ashido escaping, and that a Shinigami was there to rescue him, Grimmjow decided he didn't want Ashido to leave Hueco Mundo alive. He was finally going in for the kill. He was going to dispose of Ashido once and for all. "Same goes for the sap that had the misfortune of having to rescue him," Grimmjow said cackling.

Maybe his day wouldn't turn out so bad after all.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong> No interaction yet between the two main characters. Didn't think that the introduction would be that long. Just wanted to provide some back story as a foundation for things to come.


	2. Minor Setbacks

**Title**: Aquamarine Moondust

**Genre:** Romance

**Rating**: M

**Pairing**: GrimmRuki, with a sprinkling of IchiRuki and AshiRuki

**Disclaimer**: I don't own BLEACH and its characters. They all belong to the great Kubo-sensei!

**Summary**: Rukia goes back to Hueco Mundo to fulfill her promise to Ashido. She knew the dangers that await her, but she never expected to see HIM.

**Timeline**: The story follows the events in the anime, as I'm aware Ashido is not present in the manga. However, I will try my hardest to stick to the original storyline of Bleach.

* * *

><p>CHAPTER TWO<p>

Rukia adjusted her cloak again as she felt the first winds of Hueco Mundo across her unaccustomed cheek. The land of perpetual darkness hasn't changed much, but then again she hadn't expected it to. The hot sand beneath her feet and the howling wind felt more comfortable to Rukia than the deafening silence inside the precipice world, so she was thankful that she had finally reached her destination. She heard a hollow's cry in the distance, but she paid no heed to it.

Ukitake had given her some instructions and a few devices that might prove useful to her during the mission, and one of the most important reminders he had was to keep a low profile. Her captain advised to her to avoid fighting as much as possible so as not to disrupt Hueco Mundo's environment. Each time her Reiatsu would flare up as a result of a battle, more and more Hollows would be attracted to it, and that's something she had to avoid at all cost.

She knelt down on the sand and opened the satchel that was slung around her shoulder. Inside were three small rectangular boxes, a watch and a red choker that made Rukia uneasy. It reminded her too much of the one she wore during her execution. As she took two of the rectangular boxes out of the satchel, she recalled Ukitake-taicho's strict instructions on how to use them.

"_Listen Kuchiki, these devices are called Reiatsu Emitters. They're like bombs that you can place anywhere, but instead of an explosion, bursts of captain-level reiatsu erupt from these boxes. They can be set off using this remote," Ukitake said as he handed the remote over to Rukia. "but you can't use them just anywhere. As soon as you step into Hueco Mundo, I want you to place two of these at any landmark near the gate where it won't get tampered with. Since there's a barrier preventing anybody from opening a gate from Hueco Mundo to Soul Society, we'll open one for you in exactly 24 hours, okay?"_

"_H-hai, Ukitake-taicho," Rukia stammered quickly. A nagging voice inside her head was wondering if she could pull the mission off successfully in just 24 hours, but she shoved her doubts at the back of her mind. She was glad that she was going on this mission and she was not going to jeopardize it because of some doubts. She'll just cross that bridge when she got to it._

_Thankfully, her captain didn't seem to catch her lapse in resolve. He continued his briefing; "In exactly 24 hours from the time you arrive in Hueco Mundo, I want you to set off the charges. This is so you can find your way back to the gate no matter where you are. If you stray too far, you may not feel the gate's energy signature, so these charges will help you do that. The last charge is yours to use however you want to. The choker is a reiatsu inhibitor for you to wear around your neck when you need help hiding your reiatsu."_

Rukia was now looking at the choker and try as she might, she couldn't bring herself to wear it. Although it was all in the past, she got goosebumps on her skin just holding it. As for the charges, she set the two behind some large rocks in the area, making sure they were firmly placed and hidden from plain sight. She strapped the watch onto her wrist and adjusted her cloak for what seemed like the nth time that day before she set out towards the direction of the Menos Forest.

The limited time frame annoyed her for some reason, and she decided she would save a lot of time if she used Shunpo to get to the forest. She just hoped she wouldn't run across aggressive Hollows along the way as she didn't really want to fight unless she needed to.

Fate seemed intent on antagonizing her little mission right from the very start when something large shot out of the ground before her, forcing her to sidestep to the left sharply in order to avoid it. Since she was moving through the desert at high speed, it was impossible to veer to the left and dodge gracefully, and her sidestep, although saving her from a painful head-on collision with whatever it was that appeared, sent her flying across the sand.

Rukia winced as she landed on the sand, the rough grains bruising her elbows, arms and left cheek. She ignored the pain her landing caused as she hurriedly got up and readied herself to fight her opponent by moving into a defensive stance, her hand poised over the hilt of her Zanpakutou. The hollow that shot out of the sand was a huge centipede-like creature, almost 10 times her size. Its head was encased in a mask of pure bone that resembled that of a moose skull and it had a large double-tipped green tongue that reminded Rukia of a snake, poised to strike.

She barely had time to withdraw her sword when it lunged at her. Thinking quickly, she jumped high into the air and looked back down to see if the creature was following her. Curiously, it was now burying itself into the ground on which it lunged at, displacing all the sand around it. Rukia took out her sword and landed back onto the sand just as the creature's tail disappeared, sand covering the hole it had left in its wake. She surveyed her surroundings and with her feet, felt for even the slightest movement underground to determine where the creature was going to surface next.

She sensed a low rumbling at first, and then the sand around her feet started to vibrate. _Now,_ she thought, her eyes narrowing as she leapt up a mere second before the creature's head shot out of the sand. Rukia skillfully jumped onto the hollow's back, raised her sword and with both hands on the hilt, stabbed the hollow. The creature cried out in pain and bucked about in an attempt to overthrow its unwanted passenger. Plunging the sword in deeper, Rukia ran along the hollow's back, taking the embedded sword with her and cutting the hollow right along the middle in the process. Once she reached the tail, she swiftly took out the sword and jumped off.

The hollow's blood was everywhere; on her sword, on the sand, and there were spatters on her cheeks and cloak. The monster howled in pain; but to Rukia's surprise, it still moved about at the same speed, as if she had not injured it. _'The cut must have been too shallow'_ Rukia decided and cursed herself for underestimating her foe. She had no choice; she needed to use her shikai.

"Mae, Sode no Shira-" Before Rukia could fully call out her shikai, a bright red light blinded her and she was forced to take a step back. _A Cero? It can't be!_ was the only thing on Rukia's mind as she used her sword as a shield for whatever attack was headed her way. She had kept her eyes on her enemy at all times and she was sure the creature didn't get a chance to charge a Cero.

Rukia's eyes widened as a red beam of light shot past her, missing her by a mere inch. She turned to follow the trajectory of the Cero and saw it collide with a nearby sand dune, where it exploded. She looked back at the hollow she was fighting and she could now see a large gaping, smoldering hole where its belly used to be. With a final grunt, the hollow fell to the ground before dissolving into a million ashen particles.

With the hollow out of the way, Rukia could now fully see who had fired the Cero from behind the monster. The newcomer was walking towards her slowly, his figure becoming clearer as he passed the cloud of dust generated by the hollow's passing. Through the smoke, dust and sand, Rukia realized with a start who her "savior" was. The light blue hair, the remnants of the hollow mask over the right jaw and that arrogant stance – Rukia was all too familiar with them.

"Espada," she hissed as she once again took on a defensive stance. In contrast to her actions, Grimmjow remained laid back as he approached Rukia with steady steps.

"Oi Shnigami," Grimmjow called out as soon as he was close enough. "Couldn't even take care of a weak hollow?" His hands were on his hips and he was wearing a smug look that looked vaguely familiar to Rukia. Unbidden memories flashed through Rukia's mind of a certain orange-headed boy who used to wear the exact same smug expression whenever he was successful at protecting his loved ones. Hastily, she shoved the memories back into the recesses of her mind and turned her attention back to the present.

_Did the Arrancar just save me_? She wondered. _If so, does that mean he's changed?_

Her confusion must have been clearly noticeable because Grimmjow's smug looked turned into a full-blown sinister grin. He took out his weapon and pointed it straight at Rukia. "Well then, now that we're alone, I can kill you without getting interrupted."

_Okay, so maybe not._

In a split-second, he was right in front of her. Instinctively, she raised her sword to shield herself from an oncoming attack. She hissed as the sound of metal scraping against metal rang loudly in her ears, her arm muscles burning as she tried to block the force of Grimmjow's attack. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him holding up his other hand, his palm glowing bright red as he prepared to fire off another Cero.

Sensing the danger, she used shunpo to sidestep to the left and jumped back, just to create a considerable distance between them. As she saw Grimmjow turn in her direction, she quickly held out her hand in front of her. "Hado no 31! Shakkaho!"

A ball of red light shot out of her palm and dove straight for Grimmjow, who dodged it easily. Though it didn't hit him, Rukia was relieved to find that she had successfully interrupted the Cero charge. "Mae, Sode no Shirayuki!" she called out, activating her shikai. Her opponent was no mere hollow, and now was not the time to hold back.

As she eyed him warily, waiting for him to make his next move, she noticed that his body was covered with bruises; some were old and on the verge of healing, while some were still fresh. She surmised that he had been in a fight recently; also, that he had not fully recovered from his fight with Ichigo and she hoped that she could use this to her advantage and that he was not fighting at full strength.

When Grimmjow closed the distance between them with a quick Sonido, Rukia realized how wrong she was. As she was once again forced to defend herself, parrying,dodging and taking a step back with each swipe of his blade, she noticed a great difference between their strengths. She was breathing heavily, unable to pull off a single attack, while Grimmjow still had a smirk on his face and was swinging his weapon at her almost effortlessly.

_Dammit, he's just playing around with me_, Rukia thought in annoyance. She would never accomplish anything by simply blocking the Arrancar's attacks. She had to risk executing an attack, even if it meant leaving herself open to a counterattack. Her eyes narrowed at her opponent, who was still regarding the battle as if it were a game.

_At least he's underestimating me, I can use that to my advantage._

She planted her feet firmly on the sand and met his next attack with full force, determined not to take a step back. Her right arm shook as she tried to hold her sword steady against his, even as both blades were steadily moving closer and closer to her face. She held out her hand and started chanting in her mind. Grimmjow must have noticed this, because he tried to stop her by putting both hands on his sword in an effort to throw her off. Her knees gave way and she fell back, but her spell was ready. As she was falling, she shot her hand out and yelled, "Hado no 33, Sokatsui!"

As soon as she landed on the sand, Rukia struggled to get back on her feet hastily. She stood up just in time to see Grimmjow move backwards to avoid her spell. Without wasting another second, she waved her sword and turned it upside down. "Some no mai, Tsukishiro!"

The sand around Grimmjow's feet disappeared in a haze of white light. He moved out of the way as a pillar of ice shot up from the ground where he once stood. Although he managed to avoid being encased inside the pillar, his right arm and the lower half of his right leg were frozen by the attack.

As he looked at his ice-encased hand, Grimmjow's grin widened. The Shinigami was faring better than he's expected. He was thinking he'd play around with her and lull her into a false sense of hope that winning was actually possible before killing her. However, she was actually fighting back, and he could see she was a bit stronger compared to the last time he saw her. But then again, maybe it's simply because he wasn't at his best right now. He could see it in her eyes; he could see that she was starting to get confident again.

_Good_, Grimmjow thought. _Now let's work some fear into those eyes again_. He held out his frozen arm and using his Hierro, chipped the ice away from his arm and leg as easily as a snake shedding its skin. "I thought you'd learn by now Shinigami; your attacks are useless against me."

Rukia simply narrowed her eyes at Grimmjow, and readied herself for his next move. Her feet were planted firmly on the sand, slightly apart with legs bent slightly at the knee. She held her sword horizontally at face-level, both hands clutching the hilt near her cheek, with the blade pointed directly at him.

Although she was looking directly at him, Rukia's focus was on Grimmjow's feet. The moment she saw the sand around his feet move, she fired off another attack before he could take another step. "Tsugi no mai, Hakuren!"

A blast of ice came barreling towards Grimmjow, who was able to activate his Hierro seconds before the blast hit him. With arms crossed over his chest, he tried to stand still against the force of the Shinigami's attack. Grunting, he moved back a couple of steps as he continued his attempt to neutralize her attack when he heard her call off another attack. Just then, another blast of ice hit him, destroying the initial blast and sending Grimmjow flying backwards.

He gathered his bearings and back-flipped in mid-air to avoid landing on his back. He was able to land on two feet, but the sheer force of the attack caused him to stumble and he fell with one knee on the ground. Fortunately, his Hierro prevented him from getting frozen and – "Hakuren!"

Caught by surprise, Grimmjow didn't have time to ready for himself for the attack and against his will, simply avoided the attack by doing a barrel roll to the left. He took several leaps back and eyed his opponent, who was breathing heavily from executing three consecutive attacks.

He had fought many battles in his life and he could tell how his opponent felt based on the attacks they made. Seeing as how she's risking exhaustion by dealing one deadly blow after another, it told Grimmjow that the Shinigami was in a hurry to end the fight. He doubted though that she wanted to kill him – to his knowledge, Shinigamis were more mission-driven rather than instinct-driven, and he felt no desire to kill coming from her. She probably just wanted to catch him off guard so she could freeze him and hopefully make a hasty retreat.

_Damn her to hell if she thinks she's getting away from that easily_, Grimmjow thought with an inward smirk. The Shinigami made a huge mistake in giving her all in an attempt to end the fight quickly. Now was his chance. She was in no position to set off another ice attack, that was for sure.

He swung his sword, Pantera and charged at her. He didn't need spells and abilities; all he needed to defeat her now was his sword. She was severely diminished in energy and he doubted she would last long against his flurry of lunges, swipes and slashes.

True to his word, Rukia was only able to block half of his attacks. She felt like her knees were ready to buckle any minute now and she could barely grasp her sword properly. Her cloak was torn in many places and was stained with her blood. She cursed herself for being so reckless, but it wasn't like she had much choice. Her mission was to fight only when it was absolutely necessary. She had considered fighting a hollow or two if they got in her way, but she never dreamt she'd have to fight off one of Aizen's former Espadas within minutes of her arrival. She wanted to finish the battle quickly, because she still needed to find Ashido, figure out what to do and reach the gate in less than 24 hours. But thanks to her folly, it seemed like she won't be able to do any of those things anymore.

She started to raise her sword, preparing to go down fighting, when Grimmjow's leg appeared out of nowhere and hit her square on the stomach. She blanched as she fell onto the sand with a sickening thud, the coarse grains aggravating her cuts and bruises. Suddenly, something fell out of her sleeve and tumbled onto the sand beside her face. She opened her eyes slowly and eyed the small satchel containing the items her captain gave her.

_I can't,_ Rukia thought, as an idea passed through her head. She quickly shoved it away because it would complicate matters later on. However, the idea kept resurfacing and she had to admit, she had no choice. The way things were going, she was sure to die by Grimmjow's hand, and she certainly had no intention of failing in her mission. With her last ounce of strength, she opened the satchel, grabbed the small black box, and pressed the button.

* * *

><p>Grimmjow stared at the Shinigami, who was breathing heavily on the ground. She made no move to get up, but based on her breathing, he knew she was still far away from death.<p>

_I'll fix that soon enough_, Grimmjow smirked as he walked over to where the Shinigami was. Her back was turned to him, and he could see that she was rummaging around in the sand for something – what it was though, Grimmjow had no clue. It didn't matter though, because the battle was coming to a close soon enough.

Suddenly, Grimmjow stopped in midstep as a strong force of Reiatsu assaulted his senses. The Reiatsu was strong enough to render him breathless for a moment before he quickly snapped back to reality.

"A captain-level Reiatsu?" Grimmjow exclaimed, frantically looking about. He moved closer to the girl. "Oi Shinigami! You're not alone are you?" He barely got the question out of his lips when he was forced back by another Reiatsu signature, this one a tad bit stronger than the last one.

Rukia summoned her strength so that she could at least get up on all fours. "It's looks like my backup is here," she bluffed. "I wouldn't... stay here if I were y-you." She tried her best to sound confident, but her voice was breaking due to the strain and fatigue she felt. She really hoped Grimmjow would choose to run away and leave her be, rather than wait for the "newcomers" to arrive.

Grimmjow cursed under his breath. So the Shinigami woman wasn't alone after all. Grimmjow debated whether he should just kill his opponent before fleeing – she was already down for the count anyway. However, Grimmjow distinctly remembered something about these Shinigami that he hated so much – they all had great timing. He still remembered how close he was to killing this same Shinigami twice already, but just when he was about to finish her off, someone would come along and he'd be forced to fight whoever it was that came to save her.

He could practically see it in his mind – him dealing the final blow, only to be stopped by whoever those strong Reiatsu belonged to. And he was in no shape to fight. Glancing at the girl one more time, he seethed, "This isn't over Shinigami. Next time, I'll finish you off. That's a promise."

Rukia closed her eyes as the sand between them scattered with the force of the Espada's sonido. When she opened them again, he was gone and she was alone. "I'll hold you to that promise then," she croaked tersely. Using her sword for leverage, she gingerly stood up and looked at the device in her hand.

Things were already getting out of hand. She thought at first that the mission would be so simple. Now, not only was she severely wounded due to her unforeseen fight with an Arrancar, but she had used the Reiatsu Emitters, which would make finding the gate more difficult later on.

Rukia comforted herself with the thought that at least she was alive. All she had to do now was find Ashido and maybe with his help, they could just wing it and figure something out later on. She picked up the satchel from the ground and took out the red collar that unnerved her before. Without hesitation, she put it around her neck and adjusted her blood-stained cloak. Survival was her topmost priority now.

Saying a prayer under her breath, she used what was left of her energy to Shunpo as far away as possible from the direction Grimmjow fled to and made her way to her destination.

* * *

><p>It seemed that Rukia was not the only one who was busy hiding her Reiatsu. Atop a tall tree in the midst of the Menos forest, a lone figure with light blue hair and matching eyes was watching carefully, as a cloaked Shinigami tried to nimbly Shunpo from tree to tree in search for something.<p>

After fleeing from their fight, Grimmjow had hung around, but chose to hide his Reiatsu so he would not be found. He didn't exactly follow her, but he had an inkling that the Shinigami girl would go looking for Ashido. He watched her intensely, trying to find her so-called "backup", but he was surprised to find her alone.

A small laugh almost escaped his lips as he watched her almost fall from one of the main branches, and leaned onto the trunk for support. He knew she was severely wounded and his interest was somewhat piqued that she still had the strength to use Shunpo. He knew very well that he could just go to her right now and finish her off, but he was still wary of the strong forces of Reiatsu he felt earlier. So for now, he'd just sit, wait and bide his time. He was in no hurry, he assured himself. The Shinigami was able to inflict wounds on him and he needed time to heal. Also, he was getting pretty bored with Hueco Mundo's lack of activity. It wasn't everyday that something new happened and he had been given front row seats to the show.

At first, it vexed him to think that he had failed to finish her off for the third time. But the more he mulled over it, more and more reasons were beginning to surface as to why it might be a better idea to keep her alive. With a sinister smile, Grimmjow moved back into the shadows. He'd let her live for a little while longer. After all, it's no fun if he killed the only source of entertainment he's had for quite a while.

* * *

><p>Rukia coaxed her spiritual energy to accumulate and take on a physical form over her right palm. She was able to produce a small ball of flame, enough to light up the small cave she had wandered into. She swept her gaze across the cave and she knew for sure that this was Ashido's hideout. In the far corner was a makeshift bed out of dried branches and torn pieces of cloth. Everywhere Rukia looked there was a Hollow skull staring back at her, and she suddenly had the urge to comment on Ashido's weird choice of décor.<p>

A hollow mask sat atop a spear by the entrance, as if guarding the cave from trespassers. Remnants of what seemed like a tusk adorned the wall to her left, while more bits and pieces of hollow bone were scattered by the foot of the makeshift bed. It definitely looked like Ashido had made himself at home. The cave looked pretty much lived-in.

_But when, where was Ashido?_

She closed her eyes and felt around her for his Reiatsu. It was there, but it was extremely faint. It meant he had not gone back to the cave for several days now. She had no clue where he went or if he was even still alive.

"Okay...minor setback number 100 for today," mused Rukia with a sigh as she discarded her cloak and stepped outside the cave.

* * *

><p>He was still watching when she emerged from the cave and sat by the entrance. She looked down at the Menos that milled around the bottom of the forest floor as if she were watching sheep in the meadow. Grimmjow thought she'd be like that for hours – sitting with her legs dangling over the edge, her face gradually relaxing.<p>

"What the hell is she doing?" wondered Grimmjow out loud, his brows furrowing in confusion. "Did she come here to take a goddamn vacation?"

As if hearing his words, Rukia suddenly stood up, grasped her sheathed sword by the hilt and jumped down to the forest floor. Grimmjow followed suit, jumping onto a lower branch so as not to lose sight of his target. The menos turned in her direction as she walked past – although her Reiatsu was concealed, they could still sense that she was different and curiously looked on. However, the exact strength of her Reiatsu was a mystery to them, so many chose to hang back and leave her be.

Every now and then, a particularly brave hollow would approach and try to attack her, but she defeated those easily. Not far behind her, Grimmjow watched as she walked around, fought hollows, and then walked some more. He transferred from one tree to another when she was far enough, careful not to alert her of his presence.

Rukia was getting fed up as more and more Menos approached the farther she went. Even more annoying was the fact that she couldn't unleash her Shikai because of the choker she wore around her neck. It wasn't such a good idea anyway, because fluctuations in her Reiatsu would attract more Menos her way, which would just complicate things.

Grimmjow watched as the Shinigami found herself surrounded by large Menos, who wanted to take a sample of her Soul. He wondered for a moment why she couldn't just freeze them all, instead of just slashing repeatedly at anything that got close. His eyes narrowed as he saw the Shinigami fighting one Menos, completely unaware of the presence of another one that was creeping up behind her. He shook his head in disbelief and pointed a finger in the Shinigami's direction, a pale red light appearing on his fingertip, gradually growing larger.

Rukia watched as the Menos before her disappeared after she took it down with one clean swipe. She was about to sheath her sword when out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of light. Turning around, she saw nothing except the black ashes of a Menos disintegrating right before her very eyes. Confused, she looked around to see if there was somebody there. However, all she saw were shadows amongst the trees. _Probably more Menos_, she thought.

Grimmjow wanted to hit his head against the tree. Sure, what he did was out of impulse, and he never ever questioned his impulses, but saving the Shinigami turned out to be a stupid idea. He still didn't know where her companions were, and he risked exposing his location with that Cero. He now saw her looking about, probably to find the location of her savior. "Ashido, is that you?" she called out. Grimmjow wanted to hit _her_ head against the tree.

"Nice going Shinigami, pretty stealthy of you," he murmured sarcastically. He sincerely wished he had a comrade with him right now, someone he could make bets with. If he did, he'd bet that the Shinigami won't last a day if left to her own devices. "Probably make a fortune," he grumbled.

While he was watching her, he recalled something that fairy Aizen had said to them: that she was partly responsible for why Kurosaki Ichigo was as strong as he was. He looked at the tiny Shinigami, then recalled all the fights he had with the orange-haired Shinigami. Grimmjow shook his head in disbelief. Did she really help him become that strong?

Grimmjow looked down at his hands. Shinigami don't just show up here in Hueco Mundo. He wanted to get to the bottom of this, see what was really up. Of course, it didn't hurt that her presence may potentially benefit him and his dreams of gaining strength. If she really did something to make Kurosaki stronger, then maybe she could do something about the standstill that he was on.

Grimmjow looked for the Shinigami once more, only to find that she was once again surrounded by Menos. He sighed.

_Now, if only she could stay alive until then._

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes<strong>: This update took longer than expected. I wanted to release a chapter per week, but I was held back by work . I want to thank those who placed this fic on their alerts and to those who reviewed. Special thanks to BarbaritaS! your PM made me happy ^^


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